Why Me?
by LAByrinith
Summary: Ever have one of those days where nothing goes as planned? The bathroom explodes, you get separated from your friends and almost killed by your brother? Well, if not, this is a story about those who DO have days like that.
1. Imperial Business

Note: This was a story that I first posted at the Official Baten Kaitos Forums under the username of "Ayrill." This fic has been edited slightly from its original version, but the overall content remains the same. The first chapter is a little short ends a bit suddenly, but that all improves as the story goes on. I will continue to post chapters as long as I know that there are readers who wish to see it (it's a pretty long fic, so I have no reason to post it if no one is reading it).  
Thank you for your time, Baten Kaitos fan. You are now allowed to read the following Baten Kaitos story.

Part 1: Imperial Business

"Ugh, I'm _not_ doing it!" Lyude protested.  
"Oh, come on! We need that magnus!" Xella argued.  
"Don't you have a lot of Aqua Bursts already?"  
"That one's at a higher level. No go fetch it, Lyude!"  
"I refuse to retrieve it from... there." said Lyude, gesturing to the toilet.  
Yes, the party was in the bathroom of the Imperial Fortress. They had been in the Fortress all day to get any magnus they might have missed on their last visit, and also to take photographs of some of the rare and evil beasts, as the team was low on cash.  
"Ok, ok, maybe we can get one of the others to do it." Xella decided, "How about you, Gibari? You've always been a fan of water. ...Gibari?" She and Lyude looked around, but there was no sign of him, or anyone else.  
"Great," said Lyude, "now one of us has to-" "No, not us, _you_!" Xella shot.  
"But I..." Lyude began, but it was not in his nature to argue, especially with someone like _Xella_. He sighed and said, "Fine, Xella. I'll... get the magnus..."  
Xella smiled, Meemai chirped, and Lyude looked down uncomfortably into his distorted reflection in the stagnant water of the silver toilet bowl.

"The Great Mizuti thinks that leaving behind our comrade might have been a not so great decision..." Mizuti said as he, Kalas, Savyna, and Gibari went down a long corridor whose metallic walls shimmered. Kalas looked back at Mizuti, "Hey, if anyone asks, we were out stea-...er_ finding _weapons from the fortress." he demanded as they reached the open air.  
Savyna shook her head, "And yet, we are outside? What do you intend to say, that we were trying to steal an Iron Beetle?"  
"Not steal, _find_!" hissed Kalas.  
"Find? But that's just-" "I didn't steal anything!" interrupted Kalas.  
"So, how much longer do you think they're going to be?" pondered Gibari.  
"The Great Mizuti believe not too much longer..." the masked one said. Almost instantly after he finished the sentence, an explosion was heard from inside the great fortress.

"...Well damn." Mizuti said.

---

Lyude woke up, not knowing how much time had passed, to find himself in a bright room. Everything in it seemed to reflect light into his eyes. He shielded his face with his gloved hand, and noticed that it was covered in a sparkling substance. Curious, he turned his head to one side and let his crimson eyes adjust to the brightness. Once he finally realized where he was, he let out a shrill scream. All around him was fancy furniture in an assortment of colors, all made of candy and glittering with sugar coating. Even the bed he lay upon seemed to be made of a giant, lime green gumdrop, and the covers made from a smooth, white frosting.  
But what had become of the others? How was he still alive? Why was he in _Mira_? ...The answers would come into his memory soon enough.

Meanwhile, while the rest of the party should have been scouring the fortress for Xella and Lyude, they were instead being perused by some heavily armored soldiers who had noticed the explosion (as if they possibly could have missed it).  
"We can't hold them off for too long." said Savyna, "Just keep going until we reach our ship in Mintaka."  
"Hey, not all of us are expert runners ya know!" said Gibari, far behind, "Slow down, will ya, Savyna!"  
"Ugh, you're hopeless! Why don't you just fly or something?"

Soon enough, they made it out of the territory of the Imperial Fortress, with the soldiers dead on their tail (Gibari's anyway) until then. As a matter of fact, the guards completely stopped the persuit when the party left the walls of the fortress.  
Panting, Gibari looked back and said, "I... guess we lost them?"  
"The Great Mizuti senses signs of stupidity back at the shiney palace. Dumbness. Foolishness. Village idiots."

Just like Mizuti said, the two not so bright soldiers stood at the entrance of the Imperial Fortress. The first soldier looked at the other and said "You think we should follow them?"  
"Nah, lets have one of the important people do it. Here, give me that cell phone magnus."  
Once he had the card, he asked, "Uh... do you know Vallye's number?"  
"No... the only phone number I know is Skeed's. Well, him and that one crazy officer anyway. Not that I'd ever call that lout."  
"Drat, this is no good. Go ask the other guys if they know her number."

And so it began, and without any of them knowing exactly how much more crazed it could get.


	2. Sweet Brother of Skeed

Part 2: Sweet Brother of Skeed

Lyude was sparkling with bits of sugar, which he realized with shock when he looked at himself in a mirror made of the same.  
"Gahh, so much sugar. I haven't had sugar at all since Vallye and Skeed forced me to eat that Mira chocolate bar... by... shoving it down my throat..." Lyude recalled with discomfort. "Now, what just happened at the fortress? Ah... I seem to remember a good bit of it... I accidentally flushed the toilet that had the magnus in it in my hesitation, and as it turned out it was actually a Chronos Blow and not an Aqua Burst, so when it got unleashed deep in the pipes it stopped both time and the water from moving, creating too much weight in one area of the narrow pipe, thus making it break and fall across an electric barrier, which disrupted the current of electricity and actually amplified the amount of energy in the barrier, and then the magnus slipped out of a break in the pipe and touched the electricty, creating a power surge and ultimately an explosion. Furthermore, I have no idea how I know all this."

Suddenly, the phone (which was colored like a candy-cane) rang. Lyude looked around for someone who could answer it, but didn't find anyone else in the home. After it rang three times, Lyude answered it himself.  
"Erm... hello?" he said.  
The voice of an Imperial Soldier replied, "Yo, is this Vallye's residence?"  
Lyude trembled slightly upon hearing the Imperial Soldier, but replied calmly "No, this isn't... This residence is somewhere in Mira."  
"Oh... Well is this Vallye?"  
"U-um... N-no, this is Lyude." he answered, and almost smacked himself for giving away who he was. Surely the empire would be after him if they realized where he was now.  
"Oh. Ok, sorry, wrong number. Good day, sir." and then he hung up.

Lyude was shaken, but relieved that the soldier was an idiot.  
"Wait... I do I really sound like a girl?" he asked himself.  
Furthermore, why was he in such a crazed place as Mira? The answer was to be revealed when the milk chocolate door opened.  
Lyude gasped. "Y-you!"

"Yes, me. Now come on or I'll drag you out!" snapped the voice of none other than Skeed.  
"But... why are you-" "Not now, Lyude! Come with!"  
"W-wait! Let me get my magnus first!"  
"Ugh, fine..."  
And so, Skeed was forced to wait for his little brother to find and sort his magnus, which took a while, as he was at a rather high class.

---

In the meantime, things were not blissful at the Imperial Fortress.  
"Durnit, durnit, durnit, durnit!" Fadroh grumbled, looking at the damages. "Durn soldiers and their crap clogging up the pipes! Honestly! Melodia, remind me to get a better pluming system!"  
He then looked up and saw a girl with blond hair, her wings and staff drawn.  
"Oh, you want to fight now, do you, missy?" he asked amusedly.  
"Only if I have to..." Xella replied, pulling out a magnus...

---

Once Lyude finished gathering his magnus and packing his things nicely, he followed Skeed outside. He was somewhat nervous as to what his brother, who, as far as Lyude knew, hated him, would want him to see. He dared not ask. Besides, Skeed did not even have his gun with him. What was there to worry about? ... Maybe strangulation, maybe getting punched into a concussion, maybe getting his throat slit by a magnus... But there was no way Skeed could shoot him.  
Anyway, the two went out to Mira's port, where a glistening ship floated in the wind. It wasn't very large, and didn't look like it would fit more than two or three people inside. Skeed entered first, and slammed the door shut as soon as Lyude entered.  
"Don't touch anything," the older one demanded.  
Lyude sighed. It's not like he intended to.

And so, the two were off. Skeed sat at the controls, while Lyude sat in the back. He unleashed a magnus of custard pudding, and ate silently.  
"And don't make a mess back there!" Skeed added.


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

"Come on, let's go." said Savyna, back in Alfard.  
"Go? Where? The Imperial Fortress?" asked Kalas.  
"Of course. We still need to find Lyude and Xella."  
"What makes you think they're still there? What if they died or got captured and taken to Mira or something?"  
"I think the empire will be too busy repairing the damage than looking for suspects. Besides, it's been two days since the explosion and we've had no word from them. I should hope you're at least somewhat concerned."  
"... No, not really."

---

The Goldoba flew at a steady rate in the skies somewhere between Annuenue and the Taintclouds, just floating along with nowhere to go besides the empire, but such things could be procastinated.  
Folon, who had given himself one too many energy injections, lay on his back across a long seat, babbling to Vallye, who had come with the crew on their last mission.  
"So then I was like: 'Yo, don't you be given me that ox tongue.' But really, ain't them clouds in Diadem wacked?"  
Vallye felt that if she had to hear Folon say one more thing that she would slam her head on the metal wall. "Hey, could someone give the crackhead here something else to entertain himself with?" she demanded in an annoyed tone.  
"Yes, someone, give the crackhead some mirrage weed!" concurred Folon.  
"Oh, just ignore him." said Giacomo, who was sitting on the other side of Vallye.  
"It's hard to ignore someone who is laying down uncomfortably close to you." Vallye mumbled. She'd have said more, but the ringtone of a cellphone went off (It had a tune similar to that of the battle theme).  
"Ah, I think that's mine," said Vallye, "Darn it, Folon, get your head off me!" she added, knocking him to the floor. She then unleashed her cell phone magnus and answered it, putting her feet up on the ship's controls casually.  
"Hello? ...Yes, this is Vallye. ...Hmm? Why didn't you guys go after them? I mean, that was two days ago! You must've lost them by now! ...Ok, fine. By the way, was my brother with them? ...No no, not Skeed, the pansy. ...No, not Geldoblame! I'm not even related to him!" she said to the soldier in Alfard on the other line.  
"Wehehe, look, Vallye is talking to herself!" Folon said from the floor. Vallye kicked him in the gut to silence him.  
"Ok, we'll be there moment-" Vallye began to continue, when she accidentally kicked a lever on the controls, plunging the ship into a death dive.  
"Gaaahhh!" Vallye shreiked.  
"Woooaaah!" shouted Giacomo.  
"Aaaaah!" Amye yelled.  
"Wheeee!" Folon exclaimed.

---

Kalas and friends made it back to the Imperial Fortress just in time. That is, just in time to see Xella beating Fadroh with her staff.  
"Woah, Xella, what gives?" Gibari asked.  
"Clearly she was attacking him because he's a threat to us." Savyna said.  
"Threat? Oh, he was just in the way of that Chronos Blow magnus that got stuck in the pipe." Xella replied innocently.  
"... I think my neck is broken..." Fadroh moaned.  
"Silence!" Xella shot, hitting him again.  
". . ." remarked the rest of the party.

---

After a few hours of flight, Lyude felt warm air from the outside. He figured that now would be a good time to risk questioning his brother.  
"Excuse me, Skeed... May I ask where we are headed?"  
"I suppose so. We're going to a secretive area of the Lava Caves."  
"Hmm? What's there?"  
"Weapons. Amazing guns. I believe they are called Ultima Rifles. Very high-caliber. Made of the best material that can only be found in the caves..."  
"So what do you need me for?"  
"Well, the men who posses these guns will never give them to an officer who is siding with the empire. I want you to go and get two of them."  
"Two?"  
"Yes. One for me, and one for you."  
Lyude was shocked by Skeed's reply. "What? You mean..."  
"Oh, it would not be fair for me to take all the goods, correct? Besides, you wouldn't be able to trust me with such a rifle unless you had one yourself."  
Lyude had to agree with that."That's true..." And this is comming from someone who forced me to eat candy? Unusual... he thought.

Meanwhile, on the Goldoba:  
"_Gwwaaaaahhh!" _

Giacomo made his way over to the controls of the ship as it descended faster and faster, and pulled back the lever that had been moved, causing the Goldoba to straighten it's flight just as it made contact with the muddy earth of a rainforest in Annuenue. It slid over the ground a little until it finally hit a cluster of mossy trees. Upon impact, the front of the ship dented and a window smashed. Mud also clogged up the cannons on one side.

"Ungh... Sorry about that, Giacomo." Vallye said. She then realized that her phone was still on and the soldier at the fortress had not hung up. "Uh... We'll... be there... momentarily... I guess." she said, then hung up and put the phone into its respective magnus.  
"Daaaaamn, can we do that again?" Folon asked, staggering up.  
"Ugh, Can I throw him into the Taintclouds?"  
"No, we need him for the time being." said Giacomo as they exited the battleship.  
Ayme walked outside and streatched. "It looks like we're in Annuenue..." she said.  
"No, we're in the Ice Lands." Vallye said sarcasticly.  
"I didn't know the Ice Lands had so much plant stuff!" Folon said.  
Amye hit him over the head with her gun.  
"Come on, let's look for a nearby town. We can attack it for no good reason and get what we need to fix the ship." said Giacomo.  
"Wait, I have a question..." said Vallye.  
"What?"  
"There's four of us now, and only three of us can fight at a time. So which of us are you going to take with you?"  
"Hmm... I haven't given that much thought," said Giacomo. "let's see..."


	4. The Ultima Rifle

Part 4: The Ultima Rifle (and then some)

"Hmm... let's see..." said Giacomo as he looked at his other party members. "Ok, I'll pick Ayme and... you!"  
"What!" said Vallye, "But... That's a security drone!"  
The last remaining security robot from the Goldoba hovered innocently beside Vallye, checking for intruders.  
"Yes, well, he seems to have potential. You and Folon should guard the ship until we get back. Come along, team!"  
"Wait! Don't leave me here with him!" Vallye begged.  
Silence.  
Giacomo and party had gone by now, and the only sounds to be heard were the wind and exotic birds. ...And Folon eating a colorful flower behind the Goldoba for no real reason.

---

A few islands away, in Alfard, Kalas and friends were questioning Xella as to what happened to Lyude.  
"So you don't know where he is?" Savyna asked.  
"No. I went straight for the magnus." Xella answered. "I guess we should go look for him..."  
"Nah, we don't have to have him. We've got more than enough people anyway." said Kalas.  
"That's pretty rude," said Savyna, "and anyway, you'll want him to come back when you realize that he still has your Fire Yell magnus."  
"What?" Kalas exclaimed. He looked through his deck, and once realizing it was gone, said, "Come on, Xella! We have to rescue our friend!"

---

Skeed landed his ship in Alfard that evening. Again, Skeed left the ship first, and had the door slam shut behind his brother.  
"Have your gun?" Skeed asked. He didn't wait for Lyude to answer, he just saw the weapon with him and said, "Good. Let's go before anyone sees us."  
To get to the Lava Caves, they had to pass through the depressing city of Azha. Villagers glared at the two young men, knowing they were from the empire. One older man spat at Lyude as he passed.  
Skeed ignored everyone and everything around him. He looked only straight ahead, and didn't say a word. Lyude, on the other hand, could not keep his eyes still, or dry, for that matter. Perhaps it was the dusty air, or it could have been a flood of memories coming back to him.

At any rate, they passed through the town and took a right into a narrow cavern near the entrance to the caves. It was very warm there, and would only get hotter when they went through that old wooden door. Skeed kicked it down, even though it was unlocked, and led Lyude inside.  
The Lava caves were as hot as ever, and magma flowed like a ruby river under the melting rocks. The atmosphere was the same as Lyude remembered, too. The way light bent in a hazy gloss, the humid air making it hard to breathe, the sound of lava bubbling in the cauldron of charred stone...  
"Excuse me, Skeed," said Lyude, his voice echoing throughout the caves, "I was wondering... How did I end up in Mira? You had something to do with that, didn't you?"  
Skeed nodded, but didn't look back. "I did. Soon after the explosion in the Imperial Fortress, I was investigating the area and found you unconscious and half dead. I wasn't too sure what to do with you, but I knew that there was a ship about to leave with ingredients for chocolate to Mira, so I put you aboard. Soon after it was that I got an idea of how to get my hands on the Ultima Rifle. So I went to Mira and made sure you were well-healed and in a safe area while I took care of some things, after which I came back for you."  
"I'm not sure if I should thank you or worry." Lyude replied.

It took a few minutes to navigate through the caves, and they avoided most of the enemies they came across. One such avoiding had Lyude nearly back up into a pit of lava. Other than that, things went well for them.

"Lyude," said Skeed when they came to a molten corridor, "look over there."  
Lyude looked to where Skeed was pointing and saw the silhouettes of two men sitting on stones in the far end of the cavern.  
"Are those the men who own the Ultima Rifles?" he asked.  
Skeed nodded. "Yes. I'll wait here, and I want you to go over and ask for them. Remember, make sure you bring back two."  
"Very well." replied Lyude.

He wiped drops of sweat from his face and headed down the walkway of cooled lava to the men, who looked up with straight faces as he came near. Both of them wore cloaks that seemed to be made of ice, or perhaps water, as they swayed and shimmered with the slightest movement.  
"Pardon me," said Lyude, "I understand that you two have a certain type of weapon, and I was wondering if-"  
"You bet we gots a certain type of weapon, boy!" one of them said.  
His partner took out one of the Ultima Rifles from a wooden box at his side.  
"Yep, this here shotgun is made from only the sleekest, purest, most sparkling snow ever to blow over the island of Alfard! But don't be mislead by it's cool appearance; this baby only fires rounds of bullets filled with the essence of this very magma around you!"  
Lyude blinked. "Um... yes, well, I was wondering if-"  
"And that's not all!" pitched in the other man, "The Ultima Rifle also comes with a set of it's very own special magnus that are just perfect for finishing off those pesky imperial lunkheads! For example, we have today the magnus of Rapid Fire and Molten Sniper!"  
"Thank you for that information." Lyude said, then paused, as if waiting for one of the men to say something else. When he heard nothing other than the flowing of lava, he said, "I was interested in acquiring two of your Ultima Rifles, please."  
"Well, my boy, you've made yourself a fine, fine choice. Two you say?"  
"Yes, if you don't mind."  
"We sure don't! As long as you're not from the empire, anyway."  
"Oh, I assure you, sirs, I have nothing to do with them... anymore..."  
"Good! Now take these guns and keep 'em safe! If they don't give youone-hundred percent firepower, you can send them back, no questions asked! Also try our all-new defensive magnus in six different elements!"  
Lyude took the guns, which felt so pleasingly cool in his hands and replied, "Erm, no thanks, I'll be fine with these..."

He then went back to Skeed, thinking that there must have been other reasons why his brother didn't get the guns himself, other than that he was from the imperial army.

---

Vallye sighed. She was bored. Also annoyed.  
Folon twitched. He was ecstatic. Also high.  
The two had been sitting by the Goldoba for over an hour, and nothing had happened. There was no sign of Giacomo, no sign of enemies, no sign of intelligent human life for miles around...  
"Ah, what else could go wrong in the middle of a rain forest?" Vallye asked herself. In answer, a crackle of thunder rolled overhead, and the sky suddenly grew darker as rain began to pour over them.  
"Yeah... I really should have seen that coming." she added. Then she sighed again, though the sigh was inaudible over the roaring of the rain. "I wonder how Giacomo and the others are fairing..."

"Boss, I think I see a village up ahead." Ayme said, pointing somewhere with her gun. It was hard to make out anything, though, through the blanket of rain.  
"Good job, Ayme. I'll ask our other companion for his input on the situation." Giacomo replied. He then turned back to the security robot, who seemed to have been acting strangely since the rain had started.  
"What's the matter with you?" Giacomo asked.  
The drone sparked, trembled, then froze.

_KABOOOOOOOM!_

Electrified chunks of metal flew out in all directions in the somewhat fiery explosion. One such chunk hit Ayme in the face. "Gah!"  
"Curses! We're one man down. Ayme, find that wheat crackers magnus, quick!" said Giacomo as he collected the pieces of metal.  
Ayme crossed her arms and said to herself, "The sad thing is that he's totally serious."  
"Ayme! The magnus?"  
"Right, boss, whatever. Just give me a sec."  
"I should hope a sec is all you need... Oh my, what have we here?" Giacomo said, eyeing a golden item under a blood-red fern. It glowed when he put a hand on it.  
"Giacomo, what the heck are you doing? I hope you're not licking rock salt again. ...Or rocks in general." Giacomo did not respond. "...Yo, Giacomo! Boss! Are you listening to me? ...Hey-"

---

"Pardon the language but damn it, this crap is so damn stupid!" Vallye exclaimed, back at the muddy grove where the Goldoba lay.  
Folon gave her a confused and innocent look.  
By now, the two of them were completely soaked. Vallye's uniform was now heavy with water, and Folon's hair had lost its spikes.  
"Come on, Folon, we won't accomplish anything just sitting around here." said Vallye, throwing off her saturated coat.  
"Wait, what do you need _me_ for? I thought you hated me."  
"I only hate you when you get too many energy injections. Otherwise I just strongly dislike you. Besides, it's too dangerous to be alone here, for you or me."  
"Well, where are we going, Vallye?" Folon asked, standing up from the muddy wing of the battleship.  
"We're going to get a new ship and track down Kalas and party. ...And of course, by 'track down' I mean 'find and kill.'"  
"And if by 'find and kill' you mean as in 'first class ticket to hell,' then I'm all for it!" Folon replied with an evil grin.


	5. Winter Wonderland

Part 5: Winter Wonderland... or Not

By this time, the brothers had finished their duties and were exiting the caves.  
"Good job, Lyude. I was starting to think you were a worthless traitor." said Skeed, "You are no longer worthless."  
"Again," said Lyude, "I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult.  
"Take it as you will, but..."  
Skeed stopped talking when he saw his ship. Since they'd been gone, the aircraft had been completely vandalized. A window was smashed, scratches were cut into the metal, and graffiti spelled words such as: _You suck! _and _Go to hell, imperial f00lz!1, _as well as one that Skeed couldn't quite make out.  
"Damn kids," Skeed said under his breath.

For a third time, he boarded the ship first, and slammed the door behind Lyude, and thus causing another window to break.  
"Well, at least this ain't my ship." said Skeed, "You can put the guns over there for now, Lyude," he added, nodding to a shelf.  
Lyude did as he was asked, and then took a seat by a window that wasn't broken. It was getting late, and the sky had darkened considerably. As the ship lifted awkwardly off the ground, a ring of smoke appeared underneath. Soon enough, the ring was but a small circle on the ground as the ship rose into the clouds.  
The moon was full, giving the sky a silvery color. In a way it was so quiet and relaxing, and Lyude fell asleep with ease.

...Only to be awoken moments later when he fell out of his seat and hit the floor.

---

When day broke, the ship Lyude and Skeed were in was still flying. Lyude felt a frigid air break through the broken window and shivered.  
"Where are we going now, brother?" he asked.  
"Ice Lands..." Skeed replied.  
"Hmm? What's in Wazn?"  
"Nothin,' which is why I'm going to leave you there."  
"What?"  
Skeed kicked the door open as the ship flew, letting in a rush of icy wind and snow. He snatched Lyude by the collar of his uniform and held him at the doorway so that the icy winds lashed his back.  
"Dear brother, I beg you to reconsider!" Lyude begged, eyes wide with fear.  
"You wanna go into the Taintclouds?"  
"N-no!"  
Skeed said no more. He smirked down at his younger brother, then thrust him out into the snowy lands below. It was a long way to fall, but if Lyude was lucky, the piles of snow would prevent any fatal damage.

Skeed looked down into the blank sky as bits of snow blew into his face and hair. Looking behind him, he noticed the two Ultima Rifles on the shelf.  
"Ha, looks like the twerp left his new gun here. Oh well, Vallye will appreciate a nice gift." he said to himself. He wasn't surprised or disappointed at all about the situation. This is what he had planned.  
He laughed to himself and slammed the door behind him. This time, the door creaked and broke free from its hinges, falling off of the ship.  
Skeed suddenly stopped his menacing laughter. He didn't need to look back to realize what had happened.  
"Ah, crap."

Miles below, Lyude lay unmoving in a heap of snow and ice, some of which was being dyed red. His eyes were closed, his mouth partially open, but not taking in air. One side of his uniform had been torn on a sharp column of ice on his way down, leaving his skin exposed to the harsh weather. His magnus had been spilled all over the ground, and his gun was somewhere to his left, a few feet away from his arm.  
Slowly, snow from above began to cover him, his weapon, and his cards.

Meanwhile, as daylight came upon Annuenue...  
"G... Giacomo, what's up with you, man?" Amye asked, her eyes showing confusion and some fear.  
Giacomo had not moved besides a few twitches in his shoulder. He clasped the gold object tightly in his fist, its light streaking out from between his fingers. His eyes were blank, his pupils smaller than they had ever been. Ayme thought she heard him say something, but he didn't repeat it, so she didn't question it.  
"Hey, come on, boss. You're getting wet. Let's get you someplace dry and attack the village when this rain clears up... okay?" Ayme said sympathetically.  
She then heard a series of clicks from the golden object in Giacomo's hand. Then, to her surprise, the object unfolded into what seemed to be a scythe-shaped winglet of pure, glowing gold.  
"W-what the hell?" Ayme exclaimed.  
Suddenly, Giacomo turned around and slashed the winglet across her stomach as though he were fighting with his scythe.  
Ayme grunted, then fell to the ground. She wasn't injured too badly, but the attack took a lot out of her.  
Giacomo looked down at her cowering body for a second, and then said... "Oh my god! I'm terribly sorry about that, Ayme! I didn't realize you were standing so close behind me!"  
Amye replied with a confused groan. "...?"

Wet leaves and undergrowth squished under the feet of Folon and Vallye as they ventured through the dewdrop-sprinkled rainforest. The storm had passed in that location, but they were still quite wet, and tired.  
_Hmm... No sign of anything yet..._ Vallye thought, _Although this trail doesn't seem to be made naturally. Perhaps someone- _  
"...Erm... Excuse me..."  
"Not now, Folon."  
"But I-"  
"I don't have any mirage weed."  
"No, I just-"  
"Can it wait?"  
"Um... Maybe... I hope so..."  
"All right, what is it?" Vallye sighed.  
"I need to go to the bathroom..."  
". . ."

And so, Vallye waited as Folon took care of business behind some colorful plants. Soon enough, her impatience caught up with her.  
"You done urinating yet?"  
"No, just give me another minute."  
"Ugh..."  
"Hey, this kind of thing requires great care and delicateness!"  
"You're unbelievable."  
Silence.  
"... Say, Vallye, this plant here isn't poisonous, is it?"  
Vallye was about to turn around and yell at him, but before she could utter a word, an extremely loud and horrifying roar broke through the air.  
Both Folon and Vallye stood still with terror.  
"F-Folon? Are you finished now?"  
"Y-yeah... Although I probably would have wet my pants a second ago anyway..."

Back at Wazn, Lyude was in a thin blanket of snow. His lips had gone purple, and the exposed skin on his side tingled with pain. And he felt it. He was alive.  
Opening his eyes weakly, he began to realize where he was. It didn't take long. Most of his limbs were numb, and the areas he could feel were tormented by the cold. Sitting up, he wiped blood from his mouth and sifted through the snow to find his magnus deck. He managed to gather most of it, but he had lost two finishing attack magnus in the snowbank. Now he had to locate his rifle. He would have to stand up in order to walk over and get it. However, his legs seemed to be frozen and exhausted, and he had to force them to move to let him stand.  
Once up, he felt his side ache, and he came to an unfortunate realization that not only had his uniform been torn, but his side had been gashed by the ice. The scar was long and thin.  
"I don't believe this..." he said to himself. "How could I have trusted Skeed so blindly? How could I do him a favor in getting a weapon from men who are against the empire? How could I have been so foolish since the explosion at the Imperial... Ugh, what am I saying? I can sulk about this once I find shelter. Just standing around here with these wounds is only going to get me frozen to death."  
With that, he made his way to his his gun and picked it up from the icy ground. He brushed some snow off of it, and examined it for damage. _It looks fairly well, but I wonder if the trigger has been frozen..._ he thought. He then heard a hissing over the wind. Looking behind him, he saw a large, metallic-looking spider that was obviously hungry.  
"I suppose now is a good time to find out." Lyude said with a smug grin.


End file.
